Tamil Nadu Orders Private Schools to Display Approved Fees: What Chennai Parents Must Know

Chennai, 4 June 2026 — In a move aimed at protecting parents from unclear and excessive school fee demands, the Tamil Nadu government has directed private schools across the state to publicly display their approved fee structures.

The instruction applies to private nursery, primary, matriculation, CBSE, and other board-affiliated private schools. Schools have been told to:

1. Display the approved class-wise fee structure on notice boards or at the entrance.
2. Publish fee details on their official websites.
3. Include class-wise fee details in student admission application forms.

The deadline given to schools for on-campus display was 5 June 2026. Website publication timelines in circulars also reference 10 June 2026 for some reporting steps — check your school’s latest notice for the exact date on their portal.

This matters especially in Chennai, where private school admissions often involve multiple payment layers: tuition fees, admission charges, term fees, activity fees, transport charges, and other school-specific collections. Until now, many parents had to approach schools directly without knowing the approved fee structure in advance.

The latest direction follows an order from the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission. The commission observed that the public should not be forced to run from office to office to obtain approved fee details of private schools.

The case arose after a Coimbatore resident’s RTI request seeking private school fee details was delayed for more than two years. The Information Commission directed authorities to ensure that approved fee details are proactively disclosed to the public.

Fee information should not remain hidden inside files, offices, or management counters. It must be visible to parents before they take admission decisions.

Private schools are expected to show:

District education officers have been asked to monitor compliance and submit reports with photographic evidence. Compliance reports from district officials are expected by 10 June 2026, while the Information Commission has sought a broader compliance report by 15 June 2026.

Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Rajmohan Arumugam has warned private schools against collecting fees beyond the amount fixed by the Fee Determination Committee.

He said schools must transparently disclose the fees collected from students and follow the approved fee structure. Parents can complain to district school education officials, the department headquarters, or the minister’s office if schools are found violating the rules.

This warning is significant because fee-related complaints are common during the school reopening and admission season.

Although the rule is now clear, early reports suggest that compliance remains weak.

A ground check by The New Indian Express found that several schools had not displayed fee details even after the 5 June deadline. In Chennai, only one among more than 15 schools visited had displayed the fee details, while another claimed the information was available online. Similar issues were reported in Tiruchy, Madurai, and Coimbatore.

In Tiruchy, education officials found schools displaying outdated fee details or failing to upload current information on websites. Officials said non-compliant schools had been instructed to act immediately.

The success of the order will depend not only on issuing instructions, but also on strict inspection and follow-up action.